Description:

**Originally Listed At $550**

Pre-Columbian, Brazil, Marajoara culture, ca. 800 to 1400 CE. An essential tool for the Marajoara with a nicely sculpted form, this is a terracotta pounder for grinding yucca and other staple crops. The lower body is smooth and conical, terminating in a sturdy handle capped by a fish resting atop a zoomorphic head with bulging eyes. The fish's body features a ridged texture in strong contrast to the lower end of the pounder. Yucca was an important part of the Marajoara diet as well as those of other people in the region - for example, Spanish explorer Orellana and his men recorded that, during the annual winter flood season, the roots were collected and buried, to be recovered after flooding had ended. Baked yucca cakes, meanwhile, could last for many months. Size: 5.25" W x 8.25" H (13.3 cm x 21 cm)

Provenance: ex-Eugene Lions collection, Geneva, Switzerland, collected before 1970

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#153409

  • Condition: The lower part of the body has several stable, unrepaired fissures. Great deposits on surface and nice preservation of the motifs on the handle. Old collection number taped low on the body.

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August 18, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000